Method of constructing foundations for buildings



l 2 Sheets-Sheesh .1.

J.Y E. ROBINSON". Y METHOD 4of GONSTRUGTING PQUNDATIONS FOR'BUILDINGS.No. 468,228.

Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

l Alllll "lll lli y A IIIIIIIIIIII'QI `2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' J. E. ROBINSON. METHOD OI GONSTRUOTING FOUNDATIONS FOR BUILDINGS.

No. 468,228. Patented Feb. V2, 1892.

I l J' 2 I; A A

i I i I w Il H l I ll l 'sl' zij f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN E. ROBINSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING FOUNDATIONS FOR BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 468,228, datedFebruary 2, 1892.

Application filed October 3l, 1891. Serial No.4l0,512. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. ROBINSON, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedMethod of Constructing Foundations for Buildings, of which the followingis a specication.

Myimproved method is specially applicable to foundations for heavystructures, and particularly Where the foundation to be constructed mustgo lower than that of an adjacent building. lleretofore in such cases ithas been necessary to underpin the Walls ad- Jacent to the building' tobe erected, and this frequently is a difficult and dangerous operation,especially Where the Walls to be underpinned are very heavy, as is oftenthe case with the large buildings now constructed. By my Improved methodunderpinning is entirely dispensed with, and a foundation maybe sunk toany desired depth below that of an adjacent building Without in anymanner exposing the latter to danger.

In describing my improved method, reference 1s had to the accompanyingdrawings,in Whichl Figure l is a perspective view of a foundation incourse of construction alongside another building. Fig. 2 is averticalsection on the line on .fr of Fig. l.

rt. A represent a series of cylinders, each being made up of sections aa, riveted or bolted together, as shown.

B represents a portion of the foundation of an adjacent building O, andD the surface of the ground.

In carrying out my method the cylinders are sunk into the earth on theline of the foundation, the earth, tbc., being removed from theirinteriors as they sink. lower ends ot' the cylinders rest on a suitablebase, suoli as gravel or rock, I pour grout on the base in a sufficientquantity to lill up any interstices or uneven surfaces in the base andto extend up in the cylinders a short distance, as indicated atb. lVhenthe grout sets, it will adhere firmly to the base and the lower ends ofthe cylinders and form a solid anchoring-foundation for the cylinders. Ithen fill the cylinders with a suitable foundation material E, such asconcrete or masonry. lVhen the foundation is not adjacent to a building,the cylinders may be sunk in rotation, or, in other words, one cylinderhaving been sunk, another may be sunk close to it, and they may befilled at convenience. IVhen, however, the foundation is to beconstructed next to another building, as illustrated in the drawings, itis preferable to sink the cylinders alternately-that is to say,supposing there are to be twenty cylinders in a row, I first sink Ilo.l, then No. 3, then No. 5, and so on until half the cylinders have beensunk. I then return and sink No. 2, then No. 4, and so on until all thecylinders are in place. fill the cylinder last sunk with the foundationmaterial while I am sinking the next.

In this manner the new foundation can be constructed withoutunderpinning the old one or in any way exposing it to danger. Thecylinders should be of a diameter greaterthan"` the Width of the Wallproposed to be built upon them, and the portion not built upon I also`preferably filled with grout, concrete, or other suitable material.

This foundation is especially valuable for a building Where it isessential that entrance to or exit from such building by tunnelingthrough or under its foundation is to be guarded against, for it isobvious that it would be a matter of great difficulty to cut through thecylinder and its contained concrete or masonry, and equally so to cut aWay through the solid bed on which the cylinders rest. This foundationis therefore well qualified for banks, safe-deposit structures, jails,dac. It is to be understood that the cylinders will be of a lengthnecessary Vto enable them to rest on a solid base, and that they may beof unequal lengths to adapt them to any inequalities of the base on theline of the foundation.

llaving described my invention, I claiml. The method herein described ofconstructing a foundation for a building, which consists in sinking aseries of metal cylinders into the earth on the line of the foundationTOO until t-hey rest on a suitable base, removing the soil, &c., fromWithin the cylinders, anchoring the bottoms of the cylinders to thesupporting-base, and then lling the cylinders with a suitable foundationmaterial, substantially as described.

2. The method herein described of' con structing a foundation forabuilding to be erected adjacent to anotherbuilding Without underpinningthe latter7 which consists in sinking into the earth a series of metalcylinders adjacent to the foundation of the old

